Improvement in securing masts of vessels



y nitcutat gatnzt @ffice D. S. -STEVENS AND LAMBERT SNEDECOR," OF RED BANK, NEW JERSEY.

Letters .Patent No. 80,884, dated August II, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEGURING MASTS OI VBSSELS.

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.TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONGE-RN:

Be it known that we, D. S. STEVENS and LAMBERT Sunnncor., of Red Bank, in the county of Monmouth, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Partners and Steps for Masts of Vessels; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and ex'act description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art' to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whicl1- The gure represents a. cross-section of a vessel with our improvement applied thereto.`

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts. i

The naturebf this invention relates to improvements in means for supporting masts in vessels, the object of which is to provide yielding and elastic supports for the same, whereby the strain upon them, caused by the rregularly-ilowing gusts of wind, will, to a considerable extent, be relieved.

When the .masts of vessels are set, as the present practice, in riggedpartners and steps, the strain on them', due to the sudden gusts of the wind, is very severe, as while the impact, upon the sail, of the wind is very sudden, the vessel, owing to hen great weight and the action of her keel, especially when in a sea-Way, moves but very slowly in response to the wind, exposingw the masts for a considerable time tobear the strain before she rolls sniiciently to relieve the masts, whereby they are greatly endangered and often carried away.

To obviate this diiiiculty, we have prepared elastic and flexible partners and steps for the masts, whereby they may immediately give to the action of. the wind, to a considerable extent, so as to greatly relieve them, until the vessel responds to the action of the mastsunder the strain of the wind.

On reference to the accompanying drawings, A represents the hull of a vessel, B the cross-tree, C the step, and D the support for the mast, when it passes through the deck of the vessel. E represents the yielding step, and F the yielding partner, which we propose to make of^any suitable flexible and elastic material, of which the best at present known to us is India rubber.

The partner F is supported vertically by a rebate in the cross-tree, and laterally by the same, and any suitablyraised support, securely fixed to the cross-trees, fitting tightly therein, maintaining a water-tightijoint. By reason of the elastic quality-` of the said improved partners and steps, the masts will be immediately restored to their normal position when the excessive strain is relievedY The said supports being prepared with dueiconsideration'oi` the flexible and' elasticiqualities, with reference to the amount of strain they may be required to bear.

A. metallic covering for the same may be provided, if preferred, for the boom to rest upon, either made Vlarger in thc opening than the mast', to allow for tifo movement of the mast, wit-hout disturb-ing it, or it may fit the mast snugly, and'move therewith. v

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent--v Supporting the masts of vessels in icxible and elastic partners and steps, substantially as and for the purpose described.

The above specification of our invention signed by us, this 25th day of April, 1868. p D. s. STEVENS,

L. SNEDECOR.

Witnesses:

WM. F. McNAMAnA, A. F. ROBERTS. 

